[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 128 (Thursday, October 3, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1742]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           USS SIERRA TRIBUTE

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BENJAMIN A. GILMAN

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, October 2, 2002

  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay recognition to the men 
of the USS Sierra Veterans Association, who will be gathering at their 
annual ``Ship Reunion'' this weekend.
  The Sierra (AD-18) had a long career of distinction within the U.S. 
Navy. A Dixie-class destroyer tender commissioned in 1944, the Sierra 
was named for the famous Nevada mountain range, which means ``Snow 
Mountains.''
  Almost immediately after her commissioning, the Sierra began 
repairing battle-damaged destroyers in Pearl Harbor. During one nine-
day period, the Sierra's crew performed 21,393 man-hours of work on 65 
ships, for which they were commended.
  As the Japanese forces were driven back across the Pacific, the 
Sierra followed the fleet, performing battle repairs and maintenance 
upkeep at the Admiralty Islands, Caroline Islands, Solomon Islands and 
the Philippines. Her early postwar duties included work on ships 
stationed in Inchon, Korea; Okinawa, Japan; and Tsingtao and Shanghai, 
China.
  After transferring to Norfolk, Virginia in 1950, the Sierra served 
with the Sixth Fleet until 1992. Operating both in the Mediterranean 
and in the Atlantic near Norfolk, the Sierra performed maintenance 
support to Sixth Fleet logistics, amphibious, combatant ships and 
submarines. This service included support to naval forces during 
operation Desert Storm in 1991.
  In late August 1992, Hurricane Andrew, a devastating category 5 
storm, left a wide swath of destruction throughout Southern Florida. 
Within 26 hours of being notified, the Sierra was en route to help 
rebuild shattered communities in South Florida. In less than one month, 
the Sierra's crew restored 12 schools, erected a tent city, provided 
federal emergency management agency case workers, supplemented Navy 
relief volunteers, provided Spanish linguists to U.S. Army medical 
units, and prepared tens of thousands of meals for relief workers, fire 
fighters and police officers. In this relief effort, the Sierra was the 
first ship to arrive, and the last to leave.
  The Sierra was decommissioned on October 15, 1993 at the U.S. Naval 
Base in Charleston, South Carolina.
  All too often, Mr. Speaker, ships like the Sierra have stood in the 
shadows of the more familiar front line combat vessels, the battleships 
and aircraft carriers, cruisers and destroyers. But as the history of 
this vessel has shown, these ships play a vital role in keeping those 
combat vessels operating at peak form. Moreover, by making timely 
repairs at sea, ships like the Sierra save the Navy countless millions 
in more expensive upkeep and labor repairs in drydock.
  The crew of the USS Sierra deserve the recognition of this house for 
their contributions to the U.S. Navy in times of war and peace. I want 
to further recognize the members of the USS Sierra Veterans Association 
for their efforts to keep the memory of their ship alive and strong, 
and extend my best wishes for a successful and memorable gathering this 
year.

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